Chicago Bears' offensive line could use reinforcements, upgrades

Mock drafts already are flooding the Internet more than three months before the first pick will be made.

So it's not too soon to start looking at the Chicago Bears' position-by-position needs leading up to the NFL Scouting Combine at Indianapolis late next month.

Offensive line

Starters: LT Charles Leno, LG Matt Slauson, C Hroniss Grasu, RG Patrick Omameh/Vlad Ducasse, RT Kyle Long.

Backups: T Jermon Bushrod, G-T Nick Becton, T Tayo Fabuluje.

Injured reserve: T Jason Weaver, C Will Montgomery.

Unrestricted free agents: Ducasse, Montgomery.

Restricted free agents: Becton, Omameh.

Long and Slauson are set in stone as starters, but most everything else is undecided, and Long could be moved again — this time to left tackle.

Long, the Bears' 2013 first-round pick, is the first offensive lineman in franchise history to make the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons. He went as a guard his first two seasons and as a tackle this season.

Although Long made the Pro Bowl, Slauson may have been the Bears' most valuable offensive lineman, starting all 16 games, including four at center when Grasu was injured.

Grasu needs to be bigger and stronger in 2016 than he was as a third-round rookie, when he was sometimes overpowered by more massive interior defensive linemen. But he is expected to be the center of the future after making eight starts as a rookie.

Fabuluje, last year's sixth-round draft pick, has the combination of size (6-feet-6, 342 pounds) and athleticism that could make him a future starter.

Right tackle seems to be his ideal position, so moving Long to the left side would make sense but would leave Leno as the odd man out — or maybe not. Fabuluje also could be plugged in at right guard, keeping the rest of the O-line intact.

Ducasse and Omameh each started eight games last year at right guard, but neither is considered the long-term answer.

The 28-year-old Ducasse, who also started three times at left guard, likely will be allowed to test the market. Omameh still has potential. He has started 24 games and he just turned 26.

Bushrod, who will be 32 before next season begins, was unable to win back his LT spot from Leno after losing the job because of head and shoulder injuries. Also, his $6.4 million salary is way too much for a backup, even a good one.

Montgomery will be 33 next month, so a younger player who can back up at guard and center will be sought.

Becton has size (6-6, 323), athleticism and the versatility to play guard or tackle, but he hasn't made much progress in three seasons.

Approaching 27, Weaver is too old to be considered a developmental project.

Draft need: moderate.

Feeling a draft: The top three tackles — Mississippi's Jaremy Tunsil, Notre Dame's Ronnie Stanley and Michigan State's Jack Conklin — could all be gone by the time the Bears pick at No. 11.

But there are 2-3 others who could wind up with first-round grades in a deep OT class. It's a solid class of guards and centers who could bring help on the second day of the draft.

• First in a series. Follow Bob's Bears reports on Twitter@BobLeGere.